I Added Nothing To My Wardrobe And Created Six New Looks

One dress, six styles

Sheryl Bolden from Make My Wardrobe Work took one dress and made six fabulous new looks by simply adding pieces she already had in her closet.

I love dresses. They are so easy – I put one on and away I go. In, fact over half my wardrobe is made up of dresses. My clients love wearing frocks, too, because they don’t need to worry about mixing or matching. However, one of the things that I am often challenged with is how to get the best value for money from a dress.

People often say they can only be worn only one way, but I disagree; for years I have been wearing my dresses in many different guises! After all, I pride myself in maximising the cost per wear of pieces. As a huge fan of What The Frock?! (it’s a Sassy Mama favourite, too) I’ve put together six different ways to wear one of the fabulous dresses.

Read more: How to Style your Summer Workwear: Tips for Day and Night Looks

Here’s to making the most of it…

With a simple design in a pretty print, this colourful dress is a favourite of mine. It offers a casual every day option for summer which is a bit more pulled together than a cotton jersey version. Paired with flats, it is ideal for running around town and meeting friends for coffee. The tan belt emphasises the waistline, and needs little extra accessorising.

It’s Saturday night in HK and I’m off to check out some comedy! Teaming the dress with high heels, a gold chain belt and a vintage bag gives the dress a more sophisticated look. The lightweight silk is perfect for warm evenings. Layering over a black jacket not only protects from the air-con while watching the show, but also gives the look more structure.

I’m headed to meet the teachers at my daughter’s new school. This is a really casual event, so I have paired the dress with an essential striped top to give the appearance of a skirt. The colours work well together and the stripes and flats offer a classic twist.

Hong Kong is famous for it’s junk boats and what better way to celebrate a friend’s birthday than a day of champagne at sea? The dress was thrown over a bikini, and I added a hat and oversized shades to protect from the sun. Not forgetting my fabulous Bikini & Martini clutch, I was ready to sail away…

As a speaker on a panel about sustainability in the fashion industry and the impact of fast fashion, I decided to showcase the dress as a top, by layering a skirt over. This is something I do a lot; the fabric and construction of the dress makes this easy, it’s just like having an underskirt on. Statement Heels and the mid-length skirt take this dress into trend territory.

One of the biggest ways I work with my clients is to show them ways they can wear their clothes all year around. This gives them a better cost per wear. Again, I have worn the dress as skirt, but this time it works for cooler days, black tights, a cashmere jumper and leather jacket with ankle boots. It now has an edgier feel and will most definitely keep away the cold.

Read more: Style Edit: Wardrobe Editing and Fashion Consultancy with Make My Wardrobe Work